The present invention relates, in general, to ratchet wrenches and, in particular, to a new and useful ratchet wrench which utilizes a rotatable axle portion which is associated with the handle of the wrench to permit rotation of a socket shaft portion of the wrench with rotation of the axle.
A socket wrench is known in the prior art, in the Swedish Pat. No. 104,052. The publication introduces a socket wrench with a rotating handle. A bevel gear is attached to the handle, which operates together with another bevel gear on the socket drive shaft. The socket wrench does not, however, comprise any kind of ratchet device. U.S. Pat. No. 2,808,749 discloses a wrench provided with a ratchet device. The wrench also includes a rotating handle as well as a bevel gear attached to its other end. The bevel gear operates together with another bevel gear, which embraces the socket drive shaft. In connection with the bevel gear, a ratchet device is arranged around the shaft. Thus the shaft can rotate in only one direction. In order to permit both the loosening and tightening of nuts and bolts, the shaft itself has been made so that it is lengthwise movable. By pushing either end of the shaft out, it is possible to either tighten or loosen the bolt, as desired. The apparatus can also be provided with a motor which rotates the tool handle. The motor is naturally handy when the bolt has to be twisted a long way in a crowded place. But often this kind of preliminary tightening requires very little strength. For this purpose wrenches are generally used for example as illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,572,188 and 3,786,698. Both publications disclose a wrench with a cable or other similar means inside the handle. The cable is wound around the reel embracing the shaft. While the cable is pulled out from the handle, the shaft rotates at the same time. The reel comprises an unwinding coil spring and a ratchet device. The spring winds the cable back onto the reel, when the cable is retracted within the handle. Owing to the ratchet device the shaft does not rotate during the retraction stage.
A tool disclosed in the German Pat. No. 455,056, is also known the purpose of which is to loosen or tighten bolts and nuts. The tool comprises a handle, on the outer surface of which has been engraved a loosely pitched spiral groove. Around the outside of the handle is fixed a bushing-like member, which moves according to the direction defined by screw groove. The handle is caused to rotate by vertically moving the bushing.
The embodiments presented in these publications have each their drawbacks. For example, the device of the U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,808,749 and 3,952,617 result in wasted labor because the shaft rotates only when the handle is turned in one direction. Because the usual method of working is spinning the handle back and forth, half of the working time is passed in idle spinning. The same applies for the devices presented in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,572,188 and 3,786,698. They perform useful work only when the cable or spring is pulled out from inside the handle, whereas the time spent in retracting the cable or spring is totally waste.